Climbing Shoe Rear Sole Segmentation and Overlap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Climbing shoes experience frequent fraying and detachment of the rear sole due to high tangential stresses, compromising the structural integrity of the sole.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a separate and spaced rear sole made of soft, flexible elastomeric material with a high friction coefficient, paired with pre-tensioned elastic tensioning bands and low-elasticity rubber protective inserts that overlap the rear sole, providing enhanced support and protection against stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a large oblong tongue is provided at the back of the sole to cover the heel region, then the heel coverage and protection are improved, but the rear sole becomes subject to high tangential stresses causing fraying and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the rear sole into multiple segments: a main rear sole portion and separate rear tongue portions that are spaced apart from each other. This segmentation allows each part to independently handle stress, preventing the fraying and detachment that occurs in monolithic designs while maintaining comprehensive heel coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces protective inserts made of low-elasticity rubber or similar elastomeric material as intermediary elements between the rear sole and the shoe upper. These inserts are fixed to the shoe upper and overlap with the rear sole, acting as a mediator that absorbs and distributes tangential stresses, thereby protecting the rear sole from fraying and detachment.
2Ease of operation
If the rear sole is made of soft and flexible elastomeric material with high friction coefficient, then grip during heel-hooking is improved, but the material becomes vulnerable to tangential stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the rear sole system. The main rear sole maintains soft, flexible elastomeric material with high friction coefficient for optimal heel-hooking grip, while the protective inserts use low-elasticity rubber or similar materials that are more resistant to tangential stresses. This local differentiation allows each component to excel at its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure combining soft flexible elastomeric material for the rear sole with low-elasticity rubber or similar elastomeric material for the protective inserts. This composite approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve high grip through the soft elastomeric material and high stress resistance through the more rigid protective inserts.
3Reliability
If protective inserts are added to cover and protect the calcaneus region, then protection against stress is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the protective inserts: they serve as both protective elements against tangential stresses and as structural components that overlap with and support the rear sole. By merging these functions into a single component, the patent reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate protective elements and structural supports.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents fraying of the rear sole under high stress, improves grip during heel-hooking, and stabilizes the heel, ensuring better structural integrity and performance in high-grade climbing.
Implementation Method 1
a front tensioning band made of highly elastic rubber, which is substantially U-bent and is fixed by gluing onto the tip of the shoe-upper so as to surround the tarsus-phalangeal region of the foot; a rear tensioning band made of highly elastic rubber
Implementation Method 2
a sole made of soft and flexible elastomeric material with a high friction coefficient
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A climbing shoe (1) comprising: a substantially sock-like shoe-upper (2) shaped so as to completely cover the foot of the user; a rear sole (5) made of elastomeric material, which is firmly fixed to the bottom (4) and to the rear part of the shoe-upper (2); a pair of protective inserts (11) made of elastomeric material, which are substantially shell-shaped and are firmly fixed on the two lateral sides (10) of the shoe-upper (2) adjacent to the rear sole (5); and at least one tensioning band (6, 7, 14) made of an elastic material, which is firmly fixed to the shoe-upper (2) so as to tighten the shoe-upper (2) onto the foot of the user; the rear sole (5) being substantially L-shaped so as to have a lower flat portion (12) covering the talus-calcaneal portion (4c) of the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2), and an upper flat portion (13) covering the heel portion (9) of the shoe-upper (2); each protective insert (11) being firmly fixed on the shoe-upper (2) so as to have a first lateral border (11a) adjacent to the upper flat portion (13) of the rear sole (5), and a second lateral border (11b) adjacent to the lower flat portion (12) of the rear sole (5); at least one of the two protective inserts (11) also being shaped so that its first lateral border (11a) overlaps and is firmly fixed to a corresponding and complementary lateral border (13a) of the upper flat-portion (13) of the rear sole (5).